


The end of everything

by JupiterLife



Category: Nevermoor Series - Jessica Townsend
Genre: Angst, Death, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:00:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23670463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JupiterLife/pseuds/JupiterLife
Summary: It was the end of Morrigan’s life.And nothing could ever changed that.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	The end of everything

The day that Morrigan's life had changed was a rainy day in Fall. It was cold outside, and the wind was beating hard against the windows of the Deucalion. The weather was gray, sad. But it wasn't the case of Morrigan and her friends, who were comfortably installed in the warm bedroom of the girl.

She was happily playing a board game on the ground with her friends Cadence and Hawthorne, all of them stuffing themselves with candy.

Jack was stretched out full length on Morrigan's bed with a lollipop in his mouth, reading a magazine dedicated to music. She'd begged him to come play with them, but he'd categorically refused, deeming him to be too old for this "childishness".

Morrigan had rolled her eyes, amused. It shouldn't have been really childishness since he had been squatting her bed for more than three hours now, and watching them from the corner of his eye playing.

" I WON ! " Howls Hawthorne, excited.

" No, you lost you idiot ! "Exclaimed Cadence, exceeded.

" No ! Look, I kicked your rotten knight of the board, so you lost "

Cadence was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Pinching her nose, she seemed to be trying to keep herself calm.

" For the umpteenth time Hawthorne, you weren't allowed to move your pawn in this direction ! It's even written in the rules of the game, look ! "

After these words, she snatched from Morrigan's hands the little booklet of rules and tips, while she tried to verify Cadence's words, frowning.

" You didn't have to snatch it from my hands..., " she grunts, now no longer in the mood for playing board games.

" See, I told you, " launches Jack with a satisfied smile. " Childishness ". 

" You, shut up "

" No, you shut up ! " He exclaims.

" You have no right to tell me to shut up ! I'll tell Jupiter ! " 

The bursts of voice from Morrigan and Jack came to the ears of Cadence and Hawthone, now watching the jousting of their friends.

" Oh, then you're going to sneak, little cockroach ? "

He took pleasure to make her mad. Morrigan knew it very well. But, she was bored. So she came into his little game. At least time would pass more quickly.

" Do not call me a cockroach "

" I call you what I want.... cockroach ! "

" Are you sure ? "

" Sure at over 200%, " he says, placing his magazine on the bed, sitting cross-legged, one hand under his chin. " Do you have a problem with that ? "

Morrigan didn't need more. With a smirk, she threw herself a few seconds later on her bed, grabbed one of her pillows, and punched Jack with it. They couldn't stop laughing. Jack tried to grab another pillow to attack her, without success. But hilarious, Hawthone and Cadence were quick to come to the rescue. Their laughs filled the room, as the rain intensified outside.

But their joy was short-lived. The bedroom door opened so aggressively that it knocked hard against the wall. Hawthorne, Morrigan, Jack and Cadence jumped and got stuck in ridiculous poses, mouths wide open.

Jupiter, tense and worried, watched them on the doorstep.

" Don't tell me that you’re fighting once again ? " He exclaims.

" No, Uncle Jove, " answers Jack, trying to appear less like... a child ? " We were just having fun "

" Oh, okay. Well... stop for five minutes. Come all four with me please " 

Silent, they headed guilty towards Jupiter. Morrigan found him particularly pale. Even Jack tried to observe him without his patch, but without success.

" Oncle Jove... what's going on ? " He asks, anxious.

" I... just follow me, that's all. Don't ask questions. And you, " he adds to Morrigan, " stay close to me ".

He was holding her extremely tight by the shoulder. It looked like he was afraid that she would fly away at any time. Something was wrong...

When the five of them arrived in Jupiter's office, and the latter closed the door behind him, Morrigan asked the question again.

" Jupiter, what's going on ? "

" Apparently, there's a problem in town, " he mumbles, observing outside his window.

" What kind of problem ? " Jack asks, trying to sound as brave as possible.

But Morrigan knew him enough to know that he was terrified. When he was agitated, he always remove his patch to be on the lookout for everything that was going on around him. Cadence and Hawthone were behind her, making themselves very small.

" There's some suspicious fog in the vicinity, and strange noises. The locals are worried "

Stepping out of the window, Jupiter walked around the room for a good ten minutes before Cadence raised her voice.

" But, Captain... why are we locked in your office ? "

" Oh... uh... for simple security "

Morrigan felt that her patron was hiding something from them. Why hadn't the Stealth called him yet ? For her greatest happiness, Jack ends up asking him the question.

" Uncle Jove, why haven't the Stealth called you already ? "

" I don't know, " he mutters, an ounce of anger in his voice. " They should have been doing it a long time ago. I'm not allowed to act without their permission. With all that I have allowed myself to do... I'll go to jail if I try anything "

Morrigan felt extremely nervous. She was shaking from head to toe, despite the presence of her friends behind her who helped her to calm down. Jupiter seemed to notice.

" Hey, Mog, everything's fine. Don't worry. You know very well that I always fix everything "

After a reassuring wink, Jupiter began to circle the room again, on the lookout for the slightest outside movement.

Morrigan and Cadence were seated on the armchairs by the fire, Jack remained standing near Jupiter, and Hawthorne sat on the ground, nervous, biting his nails.

The situation was extremely tense, until the office phone rang. Everyone jumped in the room, and Jupiter rushed to pick up the phone.

" Jupiter North, " he announces, his voice shaking.

No one else could hear what was said in the phone. But the more the seconds passed, the more the eyes of Jupiter darkened, and his face became livid.

" I'm coming. Do not harm anyone "

Then he hung up the phone. Without looking at anyone, he grabbed his coat, ran his hand through his hair, then ended up looking in turn Morrigan, Jack, Cadence and Hawthorne in the eyes.

" Listen to me, all four of you. I will be back. I have something to settle. Whatever the reason, never leave this office. Have I made myself clear ? "

They all nodded. But Jack looked reluctant and watched Jupiter with a weird face.

" Was it the Stealth on the phone ? " He asks him, suspicious.

Jupiter ignored him. And he also ignored the fact that no one in the room believed a word of what he said.

" Did I make myself clear ? " He repeats.

They had no choice but to shake their heads again, grim looking. Before leaving, Jupiter stopped in front of Morrigan, and observed her in a strange way.

" Mog, " he said finally, placing his hands firmly on her shoulders. " Promise me that you will stay here safe, no matter what happens "

Morrigan hesitated.

" Promise me, " he insists.

" Yeah, okay... I promise "

Reassured, Jupiter kissed her quickly on the forehead, and greeted Jack, Hawthorne and Cadence with a smile, before leaving the office, leaving Morrigan with a very strange feeling. A bitter taste in the mouth. There was definitely something abnormal.

When the door closed behind him, Morrigan held her breath. She wasn't felling good. A bad feeling stopped her from breathing properly. But the others were too busy torturing their minds to notice.

" I can't believe we have to stay locked up here as if we were children ! " Exclaims Jack, out of him.

" Jack, we ARE children, " Cadence replies, looking a little annoyed.

" Yeah, well, it's not fair, " mutters Hawthorne.

" He does that to protect us, " Morrigan finally intervenes after having regained her calm.

She seemed to be the only one to feel that something terrible was about to happen. Jack seemed disturbed too, but tried to stay in control of his emotions. He was the oldest, so he had to show the example.

" We're not going to stay locked up here for hours, " complains Hawthorne.

" What, are you claustrophobic now ? " Cadence replica.

" Stop talking to me like that, Cadence. It's not the moment "

" Then stop fooling around, and maybe I'll think about it ! " She exclaims.

" Stop fighting, you two, " said Jack. " We have bigger problems "

" But she's the one who started it all ! " Says Hawthorne, mad.

" I don't care who started ! Now shut up ! " He cries.

Morrigan watched her friends quarrel for several minutes, silent. She felt like she was in another dimension. The more the seconds passed, the more she felt that a disaster was about to happen, and that she was wasting time.

So she decided to take matters into her own hands. Taking advantage of the distraction offered by her friends, she slowly backed up to the office door, ready to run when she will be outside.

Gently, quietly, her heart beating faster, she gently opended the door. Despite the creak, Hawthorne, Jack and Cadence noticed absolutely nothing. Morrigan was reassured, at least she wouldn't have to beg them to let her out.

She silently closed the door behind her, being careful not to make any noise. There was nobody in the corridors. Jupiter must have locked all hotel staff and guests in their rooms.

Sure not to meet anyone, Morrigan accelerated the pace to quickly get out of the Deucalion before her friends realized her absence, which should not be too long.

She was angry to betraying them like that, but that terrible feeling that something awful was about to happen didn't let her go, and she knew, deep down, that it was the right thing to do.

Vivified by this thought, Morrigan then started to run in the lobby to leave as quickly as possible. It was extremely cold outside, and a strange fog seemed to obscure the city in the distance. So, not wasting any more time, she started running faster, still through the empty streets of Nevermoor. There was absolutely no one there, it was a ghost town.

The Stealth had to confine them to their homes until further notice. It was so strange and scary to see no one on the streets. All shops, restaurants, theaters, and cinemas were closed.

Now even more frightened, and determined to find Jupiter, Morrigan accelerated her pace again.

Her lungs were burning, and she felt her legs ready to let go when she stopped, on the verge of falling to the ground in a puddle.

She saw a few metters from her the doors of an old open park. The fog seemed even more intense there. Legs on fire, scared, Morrigan advanced cautiously to enter into this strange place.

Her bad feeling growed as she walks through the old park, and loud voices are heard just a few steps away from her.

Feverish and terrified, Morrigan followed the voices. Until she lands in a corner with a lot of benches, and a huge statue of a magnificent angel carved in the middle of the square.

But she was no longer alone. There were two men. And... horses.... and hungs... Horsemen...

Ezra Squall was there, with his horrible Hunt of Smoke and Shadow. But he wasn't alone. On his knees, a red-haired man was facing him, his eyes full of defiance. Jupiter. And the men’s, prostrate behind their creator, threatened him with spears, arrows, and weapons.

With her heart about to tear from her chest, Morrigan put her hand over her mouth to keep herself from screaming. But it was too late... Ezra had heard her.

" Oh, look who's just joined us, North ! " He exclaims, happier than ever.

Jupiter, eyes bulging, looked at her in horror.

" MORRIGAN ! NO ! YOU PROMISED ME ! " He howls, on the verge of despair.

Hands tied, he tried to get up, without success. He was in terrible shape. He had a cut on the cheek, his mustard yellow clothes were now the color of the gray sky, and above all, the pain in his eyes was unbearable. She almost regretted coming.

" Join us, Miss Crow. Don't be shy, we were expecting you "

" MORRIGAN, RUN AWAY ! " Yells Jupiter. " RETURN TO THE DEUCALION, DON'T STAY THERE "

" Shut up, North ! " Spits Squall on him.

" If you dare to just touch her, " scolds Jupiter, " I swear it will be the last thing that you'll do in your life "

" Because it’s true that you can threaten me, kneeling on the ground in front of me like a dog, hands tied, and my hunt threatening you. Come on North, for once in your life, shut up "

Morrigan had no choice but to step forward. She had run so much that her legs barely held her. But she did it anyway. For Jupiter.

" Release him. Right away, Squall "

" I don't think that you're able to give me orders, Miss Crow "

He had said this sentence with such complacency that Morrigan wanted to pounce on him to snatch his smug smile.

" Well, the serious things can start "

Then everything turned into a nightmare. One of the Horsemen loaded his revolver, and pointed it at Jupiter's face. Everything happened slowly.

Morrigan didn't lose a second, and rushed between Jupiter and the revolver, when the bullet was fired. But, her patron had more reflex than she did.

With the help of his free legs, he dropped Morrigan to the ground, just before catching the Horseman's ball in the chest.

Dizzy, Morrigan noticed nothing in the beginning. She just thought she had tripped. Then a curious noise made her regain her senses.

The first thing that she saw was blood. There was blood on the ground. She was covered with it on all her legs.

Squall, a satisfied smile on the face, was watching something behind her. Then by reflex, she turned around. And her whole world fell apart.

Jupiter, covered with blood on his chest, was breathing hard. Morrigan fought up to him, despite the huge pool of blood around her patron.

No, it couldn't end like this.

" Ju ... Jupiter, " she whispers, her voice barely audible.

She was trying to stop the bleeding by all means. But, after a few seconds, Jupiter grabbed her hand to stop her.

" Stop it, Mog... "

His voice produced horrible gurgles. As if he was choking on his own blood.

" No, Jupiter... let... let me help you. Let me get rid of all this blood, you... "

" Mog..., " he insists. " Stop. It's too late "

" No, no, it's not too late ! I still can... "

" Morrigan. Look at me "

But she didn't want to. She didn't want to watch him. If she obeyed, the truth would burst out in her face. She wasn't ready for that.

" Maybe if I... "

Her voice was so desperate.

" Mog. Just look at me. Please "

Then, reluctantly, she planted her gaze in his. His ocean blue eyes... she could clearly see his light slowly fading away. No... she wasn't ready for that, she... she couldn't... he... he couldn't...

" Hey, Mog, it's okay. You'll doing great without me "

" What ? No, Jupiter.... you... you can't leave. You have no right. You remember ? You promised me that you would never abandon me. You... you can't abandon me. And... and what about Jack ? "

Her voice in the highs, she lost control of her emotions.

" Jack and you... "

A fit of cough, punctuated by some coughing up of blood, prevented him from continuing his sentence.

" You two will do very well without me "

" You can't say that ! Stop... Jupiter, I... I still need time with you. I still need you to teach me not to go to bed too late, to defend myself against those who annoy me at the Wunsoc... I... Jupiter I would always need you, I beg you, don't go, don't go... "

Now crying, Morrigan shook his patron's hand very tightly. He tried to speak, despite the very few strengths he had left.

" Mog ... I need you to promise me one thing. I need you to promise me that you will take care of yourself. That you will watch Jack to prevent him from becoming like me, a fool who takes nothing seriously "

He stop for a few more seconds, trying to calm his increasingly close coughing fits.

" I have... I also need you to promise me to always live your life at 100%. Don't lose a thing, sweetheart, it's way too precious "

" Jupiter... ," she sobs, destroyed from the inside by indescribable pain.

" Please, Mog... ," he whispers. " Please promise me. I need to leave with the certainty that you will live your life as you should do..."

" I promise you, " she said, her voice broken from screaming and crying. " I promise you Jupiter. I will live my life for both of us. I will be the better version of myself, and I will always keep you by my side " 

Morrigan couldn't stop talking, crying, promising a lot more stupid things than the others. Jupiter smiled, peaceful. He no longer seemed to suffer.

" And Jupiter..., " she concludes, placing her little head on his chest, despite all the sticky blood coming out of his chest. " If Jack becomes like you later, he will be lucky "

Morrigan felt him laugh for a few seconds. Then nothing. Jupiter had stopped breathing. His chest no longer moved at the rate of his breathing.

It was over, he was gone. She heard Ezra approach her.

" I'm sorry that things ended this way Miss Crow. Sincerely. But unfortunately, this is only a postponement "

Then, as usual, he disappeared. But Morrigan didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore. Jupiter was gone and would never come back.

She won't hear him laughing with Jack anymore when she woke up. She won't see her red head walk past the hotel, happy to have finally come home and find the people he loved. And worst, he will never be able to take her in his arms to comfort her when something will be wrong. 

She could hear the sirens in the distance gradually approaching the park. Jack and her friends should realized that she was gone, and called for reinforcements. She was waiting for them. But she was in so much pain. She was in so much pain, and she didn't know how to externalize it. She... she wanted... she just wanted to scream. Screaming until she can never speak again.

And that's what she did. As voices were heard a few metters from her, and she saw the face devoured by the concern of her friends, Morrigan howled with all her strength. So strong that she was certain that Heaven heard her despair.

The eyes of her friends went from her to the body of Jupiter, lying beside her. When Jack made the connection, he fell to the ground, livid. He said nothing. He observed, on his knees, in the distance, the inert body of his uncle. She wanted to go comfort him. But she was too dead inside to get up.

And she didn't want to leave Jupiter alone. Cadence and Hawthone were doing their best to keep her away from her patron so that the rescuers could take care of his body. But each time they approached her, she yelled at them to leave. Even if deep down, what she meant to them was, " Don't leave me. I'm begging you. Don't abandon me like he did "

" Morrigan... you have to let them take him... he can't stay here..., " Cadence whispers, trying to get her up. " Come on, come with us "

" Let them do their job, Morrigan. Please. Let him go, " adds Hawthorne. 

Listening to her friends, Morrigan let go of her patron's hand, and watched him one last time. His face was peaceful. There was still the ghost of his last laugh on his mouth. His red beard was stained with blood.

The rescuers took him in their truck, away from Morrigan. Then, panicking, she started to scream.

"NO ! NO PLEASE LET ME SEE HIM ! LET ME SEE HIM ONE LAST TIME "

Hawthorne held her by the waist, preventing her from half throwing herself under the ambulance's wheels. She was screaming at the top of her lungs. But when she and her friends were the only ones left, Morrigan regained her calm. Now drained of all her energy, she glanced around inexpressively.

Hawthorne and Cadence still held her back, and Jack was surrounded by the hotel staff, all crying with hot tears.

Remembering the promise she had made to her patron, Morrigan walked over to Jack like a ghost. She knelt beside him, and grabbed his face.

" He's gone, " he said in a broken voice.

Throat tight, heart broken, she nodded. When Jack burst into tears for the very first time since she knew him, the two of them hugged, crying like never before.

Their friends were around them, not knowing how to support them. They had their own grief to deal with.

Because after all, Jupiter Amantius North had, in his own way, marked the hearts and minds of everyone in Nevermoor.

**Author's Note:**

> Painful, yeah, I know 🥺💔 
> 
> It was a one shot.


End file.
